Conference control method and related equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a conference control method, the method is applied to a conference control system, the conference control system comprises a conference server and a conference controller, the method comprises the following steps: the conference server receives a conference control request sent by the conference controller, and the conference control request is used for requesting to execute a target instruction related to a video conference; the conference server determines at least one hard terminal having a pairing relationship with the conference controller, and the hard terminal is used for realizing a hardware video conference based on an embedded architecture; and the conference server processes the conference control request to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction. According to the method, the conference controller is provided in the conference room deployed with the hard terminal, and a user can realize abundant remote conference control functions on the hard terminal through the conference controller on the basis of not replacing the hard terminal.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on November 21, 2023, with application number 202311563645.1 and invention name “A hard terminal controller management method and device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference in this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of computer technology, and in particular to a conference control method, system, computing device cluster, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product. Background Art

[0003] With the continuous development of computer technology, video conferencing has emerged. Video conferencing can include hardware video conferencing (HVC), which refers to a video conferencing method based on embedded architecture. Specifically, users can implement hardware video conferencing through hard terminals, which are usually deployed in conference rooms. Hard terminals can be connected to external displays to broadcast conference videos.

[0004] In a hardware video conference, users can join the video conference through the hardware terminal management portal or the TV remote control provided with the hardware terminal. After joining the video conference, users can also control the microphone on and off through the TV remote control provided with the hardware terminal. However, the above conference control method has low operating efficiency and is difficult to achieve rich conference control functions. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present application provides a conference control method, which can realize rich remote conference control functions on hard terminals through conference controllers without replacing hard terminals. The present application also provides conference control systems, computing device clusters, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products corresponding to the method.

[0006] In the first aspect, the present application provides a conference control method, which can be executed by a conference control system, and the conference control system includes a conference server and a conference controller. Among them, the conference control system can be a software system, and the software system can be deployed in a computing device cluster, and the computing device cluster executes the program code of the software system, thereby executing the conference control method of the present application. In some examples, the conference control system can be a hardware system, for example, the conference control system can be a computing device cluster with conference control functions, and the above hardware system executes the conference control method of the present application when it is running. For example, the conference server can be a server with conference functions. The server can be a cloud server, such as a central server in a central cloud computing cluster, or an edge server in an edge cloud computing cluster. Of course, the server can also be a server in a local data center. Among them, the local data center refers to a data center directly controlled by the user. For another example, the conference controller can be a computing device with conference control capabilities.

[0007] Specifically, the conference server can receive a conference control request sent by the conference controller, wherein the conference control request can be used to request the execution of target instructions related to the video conference. The conference server can determine at least one hard terminal that has a pairing relationship with the conference controller, and the hard terminal can be used to implement hardware video conferencing based on an embedded architecture. Then, the conference server can process the conference control request to control at least one hard terminal to execute the target instructions.

[0008] In this method, a conference controller is provided in a conference room where a hard terminal is deployed. The conference controller can provide conference control functions, and users (such as conference participants) can send conference control requests through the conference controller. By establishing a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal in the conference room in the conference server, the conference server can process the conference control request according to the pairing relationship, so that the hard terminal can execute target instructions related to the video conference. In this way, without having to replace the hard terminal, the user can implement a variety of remote conference control functions for the hard terminal through the conference controller.

[0009] In some possible implementations, the conference controller presents at least one command control. In response to a trigger operation on a target control in the at least one command control, the conference controller may send a conference control request corresponding to the target control, and the conference server may receive the conference control request.

[0010] In this method, the conference controller provides a command control, and different command controls correspond to different commands related to the video conference. Conference participants can quickly trigger the conference controller to generate a conference control request by triggering the command control, thereby improving the efficiency of conference control in the video conference.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal is established through the following steps: the conference server generates first pairing information of the hard terminal, then the conference server receives a pairing request sent by the conference controller, the pairing request carries second pairing information, and in response to the first pairing information being the same as the second pairing information, the conference server can establish a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal.

[0012] In this method, the first pairing information generated by the conference server is compared with the second pairing information carried in the pairing request to achieve pairing between the conference controller and the hard terminal, thereby avoiding pairing errors.

[0013] In some possible implementations, after establishing a pairing relationship between a conference controller and a hard terminal, the conference server can receive a conference information subscription request sent by the conference controller. Then, based on the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, the conference server can establish a conference information subscription link with the conference controller, and the conference information subscription link is used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal.

[0014] In this method, by establishing a conference information subscription link, the conference controller can present the conference information of the hard terminal, and users (such as conference participants) can intuitively view and understand the conference information of the hard terminal in the conference room through the conference controller, thereby pushing the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller.

[0015] In some possible implementations, the conference server may send the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller via a conference information subscription link; or, in response to changes in the conference information of the hard terminal, the conference server may update the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller via a conference information subscription link.

[0016] In this method, the conference server can send the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller, or update the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller when the conference information of the hard terminal changes, thereby pushing the conference information to the conference controller in a timely manner.

[0017] In some possible implementations, a conference control request is used to request to join a video conference. The conference server can generate a joining request for at least one hard terminal. In response to the conference server receiving a joining response from at least one hard terminal, the conference server can establish a control link with the conference controller. The control link is used to control at least one hard terminal to execute target instructions during the video conference.

[0018] In this method, the conference controller can control the hard terminal to join the video conference. By establishing a control link between the conference server and the conference controller, the conference server can remotely control the hard terminal during the video conference through the control link.

[0019] In some possible implementations, during a video conference, the conference controller can send target instructions to the conference server through the control link, such as instructions to mute the hard terminal, instructions to turn on the hard terminal video screen, instructions to invite other conference participants, instructions to adjust the conference view, etc. The conference server controls at least one hard terminal to execute the target instructions by processing the target instructions, thereby realizing rich conference control functions.

[0020] In some possible implementations, at least one hard terminal generates a conference joining response through a connector, or the conference server forwards a conference joining request from at least one hard terminal to at least one hard terminal through an access gateway, and in response to at least one hard terminal answering the conference joining request, at least one hard terminal generates a conference joining response. In this method, the hard terminal can generate a conference joining response based on the connector or the access gateway, enriching the conference joining methods of the hard terminal.

[0021] In some possible implementations, the conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference, and the conference server can generate first shared screen information corresponding to at least one hard terminal, and send the first shared screen information to the conference controller so that the conference controller presents the first shared screen information. Then, the conference server can receive second shared screen information sent by the conference client, and in response to the first shared screen information being the same as the second shared screen information, the conference server can establish a shared link with the conference client, wherein the conference client is deployed on the device of the conference participant in the video conference, and the conference server receives the data stream sent by the conference client through the shared link, and sends the data stream to at least one hard terminal so that at least one hard terminal plays the data stream.

[0022] In this method, by presenting the shared screen information in the conference controller, the conference client can obtain a shared link between the conference server and the conference client, and transmit the data stream to the hard terminal, thereby realizing screen sharing in a conference room where a hard terminal is deployed without relying on the screen projection capability of the hard terminal itself.

[0023] In some possible implementations, the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal can be kept active within a set period, and when the user turns on the conference controller, there is no need to pair it again.

[0024] In a second aspect, the present application provides a conference control system, the system comprising:

[0025] A conference controller, used to send a conference control request, wherein the conference control request is used to request execution of a target instruction related to a video conference;

[0026] A conference server, configured to receive the conference control request and determine at least one hard terminal that has a pairing relationship with the conference controller, wherein the hard terminal is configured to implement a hardware video conference based on an embedded architecture;

[0027] The conference server is further configured to process the conference control request to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction.

[0028] In some possible implementations, the conference controller presents at least one instruction control, and the conference controller is specifically used to:

[0029] In response to a trigger operation on a target control in the at least one instruction control, a conference control request corresponding to the target control is sent.

[0030] In some possible implementations, the conference server is further configured to:

[0031] Generate first pairing information of the hard terminal;

[0032] receiving a pairing request sent by the conference controller, wherein the pairing request carries second pairing information;

[0033] In response to the first pairing information being the same as the second pairing information, a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal is established.

[0034] In some possible implementations, the conference server is further configured to:

[0035] Receiving a conference information subscription request sent by the conference controller;

[0036] According to the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, a conference information subscription link is established with the conference controller, and the conference information subscription link is used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal.

[0037] In some possible implementations, the conference server is further configured to:

[0038] Sending the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link; or,

[0039] In response to a change in the conference information of the hard terminal, the conference information of the hard terminal is updated to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link.

[0040] In some possible implementations, the conference control request is used to request to join a video conference, and the conference server is specifically used to:

[0041] generating a joining request for the at least one hard terminal;

[0042] In response to receiving a conference joining response from the at least one hard terminal, a control link is established with the conference controller, wherein the control link is used to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction during the video conference.

[0043] In some possible implementations, the at least one hard terminal is further used for:

[0044] Generate a join response through a connector; or,

[0045] The conference service end forwards the conference joining request for the at least one hard terminal to the at least one hard terminal through the access gateway, and generates a conference joining response in response to the at least one hard terminal answering the conference joining request.

[0046] In some possible implementations, the conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference, and the conference server is specifically used to:

[0047] generating first shared screen information corresponding to the at least one hard terminal, and sending the first shared screen information to the conference controller so that the conference controller presents the first shared screen information;

[0048] receiving second shared screen information sent by a conference client, and in response to the first shared screen information being the same as the second shared screen information, establishing a shared link with the conference client, the conference client being deployed on a device of a conference participant in the video conference;

[0049] A data stream sent by the conference client through the shared link is received, and the data stream is sent to the at least one hard terminal so that the at least one hard terminal plays the data stream.

[0050] In a third aspect, the present application provides a computing device cluster. The computing device cluster includes at least one computing device, and the at least one computing device includes at least one processor and at least one memory. The at least one processor and the at least one memory communicate with each other. The at least one processor is used to execute instructions stored in the at least one memory, so that the computing device or the computing device cluster executes the conference control method as described in the first aspect or any implementation of the first aspect.

[0051] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, in which instructions are stored, and the instructions instruct a computing device or a computing device cluster to execute the conference control method described in the above-mentioned first aspect or any implementation of the first aspect.

[0052] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computing device or a computing device cluster, enables the computing device or the computing device cluster to execute the conference control method described in the first aspect or any one of the implementations of the first aspect.

[0053] Based on the implementations provided in the above aspects, the present application can also be further combined to provide more implementations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0054] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical method of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments are briefly introduced below.

[0055] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a hard terminal provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a hardware video conferencing system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the architecture of a conference control system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Figure 4 A flowchart of a conference control method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0059] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a process for establishing a pairing relationship provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0060] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a process for generating first pairing information provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0061] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a process for pushing hard terminal conference information provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a conference reservation process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of a process of joining a video conference provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of a process for generating a joining response provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of a screen sharing process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG. 12A to FIG. 12Q A schematic diagram of a conference control interface provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device cluster provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] Fig.15 A schematic diagram of the structure of another computing device cluster provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] Fig.16 A schematic diagram of the structure of another computing device cluster provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] The terms "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present application are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0072] First, some technical terms involved in this application are introduced.

[0073] Video conferencing refers to a meeting method that uses the network and communication equipment to transmit audio and video signals in real time, allowing participants in different locations to communicate face to face. Depending on the implementation method, video conferencing can be divided into hardware video conferencing and software video conferencing, which will be introduced below.

[0074] Hardware video conferencing (HVC) originated in the 1980s and refers to a video conferencing method based on an embedded architecture. Specifically, hardware video conferencing can be implemented through a hardware video conferencing system provided by a hardware video conferencing service provider.

[0075] The hardware video conferencing system includes hard terminals and multi-control units (MCU), which mainly use the session initialization protocol (SIP) or audio and video protocol (H.323) with good compatibility for conference communication. Among them, MCU can be understood as a conference server, which is usually deployed in the network center. MCU can be used to converge, distribute and switch signals from multiple hard terminals. For example, MCU can mix and switch audio and video data from multiple hard terminals, broadcast and route data information from multiple hard terminals, etc.

[0076] Hard terminals are usually deployed in conference rooms, and users (such as conference participants) can use hard terminals in conference rooms to implement hardware video conferencing. Figure 1 The schematic diagram of a hard terminal shown in the figure, the hard terminal 101 can be connected to audio and video equipment, for example, the hard terminal 101 can be connected to a microphone 102, a speaker 103, a camera 104, a headset 105 and an external display 106. During the hardware video conference, the conference participants can speak through the microphone 102, listen to the audio content of the video conference through the speaker 103 or the headset 105, display their own image through the camera 104, and watch the video content of the video conference through the external display 106.

[0077] The hardware video conferencing system may also include a TV remote controller provided with the hardware terminal. In a hardware video conference, conference participants can use the TV remote controller to control the conference. Conference control refers to controlling the relevant functions of the video conference.

[0078] See also Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the architecture of a hardware video conferencing system is shown. In a traditional conference room where a hard terminal is deployed, the hard terminal can be connected to a conference server, so that conference participants can conduct a hardware video conference in the conference room.

[0079] In some examples, conference participants can use a TV remote control to perform operations to join a video conference. Specifically, the hardware video conferencing system can provide a hard terminal management portal website (portal) and display the hard terminal management portal website on an external display connected to the hard terminal. Conference participants can use the TV remote control to enter the conference management menu of the hard terminal management portal website and enter the conference identification number (identity, ID) and conference password to trigger the hard terminal to join the video conference.

[0080] In other examples, conference participants can use the TV remote control to perform control operations on the microphone. Specifically, conference participants can use the TV remote control to enter "#7" to turn on the microphone and "#8" to turn off the microphone. For hard terminals with screen projection capabilities, conference participants can also use the built-in screen projection software of the hardware video conferencing system to realize the local screen projection function.

[0081] With the development of the Internet, software video conferencing has emerged. Software video conferencing, also known as cloud video conferencing, refers to a video conferencing method based on the architecture of personal computers (PCs), which has the characteristics of high efficiency, convenience, and low cost. Specifically, software video conferencing can be achieved through video conferencing software provided by software video conferencing service providers.

[0082] Video conferencing software supports multi-terminal access. In some examples, video conferencing software can be deployed in mobile terminals, for example, video conferencing software can be deployed in mobile terminals such as personal computers, mobile phones, and tablet computers. By running the video conferencing software in the mobile terminal, conference participants can conduct software video conferencing. In other examples, video conferencing software can be deployed in smart terminals, for example, video conferencing software can be deployed in smart large screens and smart large screens. By deploying smart terminals in conference rooms, conference participants can conduct software video conferencing in conference rooms.

[0083] The video conferencing software provided by software video conferencing service providers supports a wide variety of conference control functions. Specifically, during the development phase of the video conferencing software, developers of software video conferencing service providers can develop different types of conference control functions, such as the function of joining a video conference, the function of inviting other users to participate in a video conference, the function of modifying the names of participants in a video conference, the function of turning on or off the camera, the function of sharing the screen in a video conference, the function of switching the screen view in a video conference, the function of selecting conference participants in a video conference, etc.

[0084] In this way, conference participants can control the conference in the video conference through mobile terminals or smart terminals equipped with video conferencing software. For example, conference participants can control the mobile terminal through mouse or keyboard, touch the smart terminal, interact with the smart terminal through voice, and other methods to achieve efficient and rich conference control.

[0085] Based on the above description, it can be seen that, on the one hand, hardware video conferencing service providers only provide a few simple conference control functions when providing hardware video conferencing systems, and since the hardware video conferencing system does not include video conferencing software, it is difficult for hardware video conferencing service providers to add new supported conference control functions through software upgrades and other means. Therefore, the conference control capabilities in conference rooms deployed with hard terminals are limited. On the other hand, since hardware video conferencing appeared earlier and the hardware video system is relatively old, conference participants need to use the TV remote control provided to implement the above few simple conference control functions. Compared with the use of mouse and keyboard to control mobile terminals in software video conferencing, or the use of touch and voice interaction to control smart terminals for conference control, the interactive flexibility is poor, and it is difficult to achieve efficient and convenient conference control.

[0086] Generally, users (such as enterprises and companies) who have purchased hardware video conferencing systems need to replace the hardware video conferencing systems and repurchase smart terminals (such as smart large screens) with video conferencing software to achieve rich conference control in the conference room. However, hardware video conferencing systems are expensive, and the above method is costly.

[0087] In view of this, the present application provides a conference control method. The method can be executed by a conference control system, which includes a conference server and a conference controller. Among them, the conference control system can be a software system, which can be deployed in a computing device cluster, and the computing device cluster executes the program code of the software system, thereby executing the conference control method of the present application. In some examples, the conference control system can be a hardware system, for example, the conference control system can be a computing device cluster with a conference control function, and the above hardware system executes the conference control method of the present application when it is running. For example, the conference server can be a server with a conference function. The server can be a cloud server, such as a central server in a central cloud computing cluster, or an edge server in an edge cloud computing cluster. Of course, the server can also be a server in a local data center. Among them, the local data center refers to a data center directly controlled by a user. For another example, the conference controller can be a computing device with conference control capabilities.

[0088] Specifically, the conference server can receive a conference control request sent by the conference controller, wherein the conference control request can be used to request the execution of target instructions related to the video conference. The conference server can determine at least one hard terminal that has a pairing relationship with the conference controller, and the hard terminal can be used to implement hardware video conferencing based on an embedded architecture. Then, the conference server can process the conference control request to control at least one hard terminal to execute the target instructions.

[0089] In this method, a conference controller is provided in a conference room where a hard terminal is deployed. The conference controller can provide conference control functions, and users (such as conference participants) can send conference control requests through the conference controller. By establishing a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal in the conference room in the conference server, the conference server can process the conference control request according to the pairing relationship, so that the hard terminal can execute target instructions related to the video conference. In this way, without having to replace the hard terminal, the user can implement a variety of remote conference control functions for the hard terminal through the conference controller.

[0090] In order to make the technical solution of the present application clearer and easier to understand, the system architecture of the present application is introduced below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0091] See also Figure 3 The conference control system 30 shown in the architecture diagram includes a conference server 301 and a conference controller 302. Specifically, the conference server 301 can communicate with the conference controller 302. Depending on the form of the conference server 301, the communication method between the conference server 301 and the conference controller 302 may be different. In some embodiments, the conference server 301 is a server in a local data center, and the conference server 301 can communicate with the conference controller 302 through a local area network. In other embodiments, the conference server 301 may be a cloud server, and the conference server 301 can communicate with the conference controller 302 through the Internet.

[0092] The hard terminal 31 can access the conference server 301. The hard terminal 31 can be a hardware terminal based on SIP or H.323, and can realize hardware video conferencing based on embedded architecture. In some embodiments, the hard terminal 31 can be registered in the access gateway 32 and access the conference server 301 through the access gateway 32. The access gateway 32 can maintain the access registration status of the hard terminal 31 in the form of a service. At the same time, considering that the hard terminal 31 is usually based on the SIP or H.323 protocol, the access gateway 32 can also provide an access protocol conversion function to enable the hard terminal 31 to access the conference server 301 through the SIP or H.323 protocol, and realize the communication between the hard terminal 31 and the conference server 301.

[0093] In other embodiments, the hard terminal 31 is not registered in the access gateway 32, and the hard terminal 31 can access the conference server 301 through the connector 33. The connector 33 can be used as a service to proxy the hard terminal 31 to access the conference server 301 when the hard terminal 31 is not registered. Similarly, considering that the hard terminal 31 is usually based on the SIP or H.323 protocol, the connector 33 can also provide an access protocol conversion function, so that the hard terminal 31 can directly call the conference server 301 through the SIP or H.323 protocol to achieve communication between the hard terminal 31 and the conference server 301.

[0094] The conference controller 302, also called a conference terminal controller, a hard terminal controller, etc., can be provided to the user in the form of software or hardware. For example, the conference controller 302 can be provided to the user in the form of software such as an application, a plug-in, etc., and the user can deploy the application or plug-in in the conference room equipment (such as a tablet computer or a mobile device in the conference room) to achieve remote conference control for the hard terminal. For another example, the conference controller 302 can also be provided to the user in the form of hardware such as a tablet computer (pad) or a mobile device, and the user can deploy the tablet computer or mobile device in the conference room, and the tablet computer or mobile device has the remote conference control capability for the hard terminal.

[0095] The conference server 301 may store the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31. In some embodiments, the conference server 301 may provide pairing information and generate a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 in the same conference room.

[0096] In a video conference, the conference controller 302 may send a conference control request, which may be used to request the execution of a target instruction related to the video conference, such as a command for requesting the execution of an instruction to join a video conference, a command for requesting the execution of a screen sharing instruction in a video conference, etc. Then, the conference server 301 receives the conference control request sent by the conference controller 302, determines at least one hard terminal 31 that has a paired relationship with the conference controller 302, and processes the conference control request to control at least one hard terminal 31 to execute the target instruction.

[0097] In this way, since the conference server 301 and the conference controller 302 can communicate with each other, and the conference server 301 and the hard terminal 31 can communicate with each other, by establishing a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 in the conference server 301, a user (for example, a conference participant) can trigger a conference control request through the conference controller 302. The conference server 301 determines the hard terminal 31 that needs to be controlled based on the pairing relationship, processes the conference control request, and achieves the effect of the conference controller 302 remotely controlling the hard terminal 31 to perform conference control, for example, the conference controller 302 remotely controls the hard terminal 31 to join a video conference, remotely controls the hard terminal 31 to mute in a video conference, remotely controls the hard terminal 31 to turn on the camera in a video conference, etc.

[0098] In some possible implementations, the conference control system 30 may further include a conference client 303. The conference client 303 may be deployed on the devices of the conference participants in the video conference, such as personal computers, mobile devices, etc. used by the conference participants. The conference server 301 may generate first shared screen information corresponding to the hard terminal 31, and send the first shared screen information to the conference controller 302, so that the first shared screen information is presented on the conference controller 302. Then, the conference participant may input second shared screen information in the conference client 303, and send the second shared screen information to the conference server 301. In this way, the conference server 301 may match the first shared screen information with the second shared screen information. When the first shared screen information is the same as the second shared screen information, the conference client 303 may send a data stream to the conference server 301, and the conference server 301 may forward the data stream to the hard terminal 31. The hard terminal 31 may play the data stream, thereby realizing screen sharing between the conference client 303 and the hard terminal 31. In this way, screen sharing does not need to rely on the screen projection capability of the hard terminal itself, and the screen projection function can also be realized for hard terminals that do not have the screen projection capability.

[0099] based on Figure 3 The conference control system 30 shown in the figure, the present application also provides a conference control method. The conference control method of the present application is introduced below in conjunction with an embodiment.

[0100] See also Figure 4 The conference control method shown in FIG. 1 includes the following steps:

[0101] S401: the conference controller 302 sends a conference control request to the conference server 301.

[0102] The conference control request is used to request the execution of a target instruction related to the video conference. It is understandable that in a video conference, there are multiple target instructions related to the video conference, such as an instruction for the hard terminal 31 to join the video conference, an instruction for the hard terminal 31 to mute the video conference, an instruction for the hard terminal 31 to invite other conference participants to join the video conference, an instruction for the hard terminal 31 to adjust the view of the conference participants in the video conference, an instruction for the hard terminal 31 to share the screen in the video conference, etc.

[0103] In the embodiment of the present application, the conference control request can be generated by the conference controller 302, and the conference server 301 can receive the conference control request. In other words, by adding a conference controller 302 (for example, adding a tablet or mobile device with a conference controller 302) to a conference room where a hard terminal 31 is deployed, the user can generate a target instruction for requesting to execute a video conference through the conference controller 302, so that the conference control related functions are triggered with the help of the conference controller 302.

[0104] In some possible implementations, the conference controller 302 may present at least one instruction control. Specifically, in response to a trigger operation on a target control in at least one instruction control, the conference controller 302 may send a conference control request corresponding to the target control, and the conference server 301 may receive the conference control request.

[0105] That is, the conference controller 302 may provide at least one command control, and different command controls may correspond to different commands related to the video conference. For example, the first command control may correspond to the command for the hard terminal 31 to join the video conference, and the second command control may correspond to the command for the hard terminal 31 to mute the video conference, etc.

[0106] A user (e.g., a conference participant) can select a target control from at least one command control of the conference controller 302 according to actual conference control requirements and trigger the target control, so that the conference controller 302 can send a conference control request corresponding to the target control to the conference server 301. For example, when the conference control requirement of the conference participant is for the hard terminal 31 to join the video conference, the conference participant can trigger the first command control, and the conference controller 302 can send a command for requesting the hard terminal 31 to join the video conference to the conference server 301 in response to the trigger operation.

[0107] By presenting the command control on the conference controller 302, the conference participants can quickly trigger the conference controller 302 to generate a conference control request by triggering the command control, thereby improving the efficiency of conference control in the video conference.

[0108] S402 : The conference server 301 determines at least one hard terminal 31 that has a pairing relationship with the conference controller 302 .

[0109] The hard terminal 31 can be used to implement a hardware video conference based on an embedded architecture. The pairing relationship can be understood as the association relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31. In some embodiments, the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 deployed in the same conference room can have a pairing relationship, so that the hard terminal 31 in the same conference room can be remotely controlled by the conference controller 302 to achieve conference control.

[0110] Considering that multiple hard terminals 31 can be deployed in a conference room, the embodiment of the present application does not limit the number of hard terminals 31 that have a pairing relationship with the conference controller 302. For example, when only one hard terminal 31 is deployed in the conference room, the conference controller 302 can have a pairing relationship with the hard terminal 31, and when two hard terminals 31 are deployed in the conference room, the conference controller 302 can have a pairing relationship with both hard terminals 31. In this way, the conference controller 302 can switch among multiple hard terminals 31, solving the problem of remote conference control of multiple hard terminals in the conference room.

[0111] The pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 can be stored in the conference server 301. Figure 5 As shown in the flowchart of establishing a pairing relationship, the conference server 301 can establish a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 through the following steps:

[0112] A1: The conference server 301 generates first pairing information of the hard terminal 31 .

[0113] The first pairing information can be understood as the correct verification information required for pairing with the hard terminal 31. In different scenarios, the first pairing information can have different forms of expression, for example, the first pairing information can be a pairing code, a pairing QR code, a pairing account and a pairing account certificate, etc., which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0114] In some possible implementations, see Figure 6 As shown in the flowchart of generating the first pairing information, the conference server 301 can generate the first pairing information through the following steps:

[0115] A11: The hard terminal management portal website obtains first pairing information from the conference server 301;

[0116] A12: The conference server 301 generates first pairing information of the hard terminal 31;

[0117] A13: The conference server 301 returns the first pairing information to the hard terminal management portal website;

[0118] A14: The hard terminal management portal displays the first pairing information.

[0119] The hard terminal management portal website may be a website provided by the conference server 301 for hard terminal management. Specifically, a user (e.g., a conference room administrator) may access the hard terminal management portal website through a mobile device, and trigger a request to obtain the first pairing information on the hard terminal management portal website. In response to the request, the conference server 301 may generate the first pairing information, such as a randomly generated pairing code, a randomly generated pairing QR code, a randomly generated pairing account and pairing account credentials, etc. In this way, after receiving the first pairing information, the hard terminal management portal website may display it on the hard terminal management portal website. In other words, the conference room administrator may view the first pairing information on the hard terminal management portal website through a mobile device.

[0120] A2: The conference controller 302 sends a pairing request to the conference server 301 .

[0121] The pairing request carries second pairing information, and the second pairing information can be understood as verification information for pairing with the hard terminal 31 .

[0122] The second pairing information may have the same form of expression as the first pairing information. For example, when the first pairing information is a pairing code generated by the conference server 301, the second pairing information may be a pairing code entered by the user through the conference controller 302. When the first pairing information is a pairing QR code generated by the conference server 301, the second pairing information may be information obtained by the user after scanning the pairing QR code using the conference controller 302. When the first pairing information is a pairing account and a pairing account credential, the second pairing information may be a pairing account and a pairing account credential entered by the user through the conference controller 302.

[0123] In some possible implementations, the first pairing information may be displayed on the hard terminal portal website. The conference room administrator may input the second pairing information in the conference controller 302 according to the first pairing information displayed on the hard terminal portal website, so as to send a pairing request to the conference server 301. For example, the first pairing information displayed on the hard terminal portal website is "123456", and the conference room administrator may bring a mobile device to the conference room, and input "123456" in the conference controller 302 in the conference room according to the viewed first pairing information.

[0124] A3: In response to the first pairing information being the same as the second pairing information, the conference service end 301 establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 .

[0125] After receiving the second pairing information, the conference server 301 can match it with the first pairing information. When the first pairing information is the same as the second pairing information, it indicates that the verification information sent by the conference controller 302 is the correct verification information required for pairing with the hard terminal 31, and the conference server 301 can establish a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31.

[0126] Considering the security issues that may arise during the process of the conference server 301 establishing the pairing relationship, the conference server 301 may further perform identity authentication on the conference controller 302 after receiving the pairing request sent by the conference controller 302 .

[0127] In some embodiments, the first pairing information is a pairing code. Considering the problem of remote impersonation, the conference server 301 can verify the identity of the conference controller 302 by means of near-end secondary verification. For example, the conference server 301 can send a secondary verification code to the hard terminal management portal website, and the conference room administrator can obtain the secondary verification code by viewing the hard terminal portal website and enter the secondary verification code in the conference controller 302 for identity authentication.

[0128] In other embodiments, the first pairing information is a pairing QR code. Considering the counterfeiting problem of the pairing QR code, the conference server 301 can determine whether the conference controller 302 and the conference room administrator belong to the same tenant to perform identity authentication.

[0129] In other embodiments, the first pairing information is a pairing account and a pairing account credential. The conference server 301 can verify the identity of the conference controller 302 by locking an anti-attack slider, etc., to perform identity authentication.

[0130] It should be noted that in the embodiment of the present application, after the conference server 301 establishes the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, there is no need to pair again when the conference controller 302 is subsequently opened. In other words, the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 can be kept alive within a set period.

[0131] Similarly, the conference server 301 can also unpair the conference controller 302 from the hard terminal 31. In some embodiments, a user (e.g., a conference room administrator) can trigger the generation of an unpairing request through the hard terminal management portal. In other embodiments, a user can also trigger the generation of an unpairing request through the conference controller 302. After receiving the unpairing request, the conference server 301 can delete the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 to complete the unbinding.

[0132] After the conference server 301 establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, the conference server 301 can push conference information related to the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302. Figure 7 As shown in the flowchart of a method for pushing conference information to a hard terminal, the conference server 301 can establish a conference information subscription link through the following steps:

[0133] B1: The conference controller 302 sends a conference information subscription request to the conference server 301;

[0134] B2: The conference server 301 establishes a conference information subscription link with the conference controller 302 according to the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 .

[0135] It can be understood that after the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 have a pairing relationship, the conference controller 302 can send a conference information subscription request to request to obtain the conference information of the hard terminal 31. The conference server 301 can establish a conference information subscription link between the conference server 301 and the conference controller 302 based on the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, and the conference information subscription link can be used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal 31.

[0136] B3: The conference server 301 sends the conference information of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302 through the conference information subscription link.

[0137] Since there is a conference information subscription link between the conference server 301 and the conference controller 302, the conference server 301 can send the acquired conference information of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302 through the conference information subscription link. For example, the conference server 301 can send the video conference to be conducted by the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302 in the form of a conference list.

[0138] In this way, the conference controller 302 can present the conference information of the hard terminal 31 , and users (such as conference participants) can intuitively view and understand the conference information of the hard terminal 31 in the conference room through the conference controller 302 , thereby pushing the conference information of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302 .

[0139] B4: In response to the change in the conference information sent by the hard terminal 31, the conference service end 301 updates the conference information of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302 through the conference information subscription link.

[0140] It is understandable that the conference information of the hard terminal 31 may change, for example, a new video conference to be conducted is added, or an existing video conference to be conducted is deleted. When the conference information of the hard terminal 31 changes, the conference server 301 can re-push the conference information of the hard terminal 31 through the conference information subscription link, and update the conference information presented in the conference controller 302.

[0141] In some possible implementations, the user can change the conference information of the hard terminal 31 through the conference controller 302. Figure 8 As shown in the flowchart of a conference reservation, the conference server 301 can generate the conference information of the hard terminal 31 through the following steps:

[0142] B41: The conference controller 302 sends a conference reservation request to the conference server 301;

[0143] B42: The conference server 301 generates conference information of the hard terminal 31 according to the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31.

[0144] The conference reservation request may carry conference information, such as conference subject, conference time, conference participants, etc. The user (e.g., conference participant) triggers the generation of the conference reservation request through the conference controller 302. After receiving the conference reservation request, the conference server 301 may determine the hard terminal 31 that needs to change the conference information based on the pairing relationship, and generate the conference information of the hard terminal 31 based on the information carried in the conference reservation request to realize the conference reservation.

[0145] Thus, after generating the conference information of the hard terminal 31 , the conference server 301 can re-push the conference information of the hard terminal 31 through the conference information subscription link, inform the conference controller 302 of the conference reservation result, and update the conference information presented in the conference controller 302 .

[0146] S403: The conference server 301 processes the conference control request to control at least one hard terminal 31 to execute a target instruction.

[0147] Since the conference server 301 has determined at least one hard terminal 31 that has a paired relationship with the conference controller 302, the conference server 301 can process the conference control request, thereby controlling at least one hard terminal 31 to execute the target instruction, thereby achieving the effect that can be achieved by the conference controller 302 remotely controlling the hard terminal to process the conference control request.

[0148] For example, when the conference control request is used to request to join a video conference, the conference server 301 processes the conference control request, so that at least one hard terminal 31 can join the video conference. For another example, when the conference control request is used to request to share the screen in a video conference, the conference server 301 processes the conference control request, so that the projection content can be displayed in at least one hard terminal 31.

[0149] Different conference control requests are described below.

[0150] In some embodiments, the conference control request is used to request to join a video conference. Fig. 9 As shown in the flowchart of joining a video conference, the hard terminal 31 can join the video conference through the following steps:

[0151] C1: The conference server 301 generates a conference joining request for at least one hard terminal 31 .

[0152] Since the conference control request is a request to join a video conference, the conference server 301 can determine at least one hard terminal 31 that has a pairing relationship with the conference controller 302 according to the pairing relationship of the conference controller 302 , thereby generating a conference joining request for the at least one hard terminal 31 .

[0153] C2: The hard terminal 31 sends a conference joining response to the conference server 301.

[0154] In response to the conference joining request generated by the conference server 301, the hard terminal 31 may respond to join the video conference. Specifically, the hard terminal 31 may generate a conference joining response in different ways.

[0155] See also Fig.10 As shown in the flowchart of generating a conference joining response, the embodiment of the present application supports the hard terminal to generate a conference joining response through step C21, or to generate a conference joining response through steps C22 to C24.

[0156] In some possible implementations, such as C21, the hard terminal 31 can generate a joining response through the connector 33. In specific implementations, when the hard terminal 31 is not registered in the access gateway 32, the conference server 301 cannot address the hard terminal 31. Therefore, the hard terminal 31 can actively generate a joining response through the connector 33 and join the video conference.

[0157] In some other possible implementations, such as C22 to C24, the conference server 301 may forward a conference joining request for at least one hard terminal 31 to at least one hard terminal 31 via an access gateway, and in response to at least one hard terminal 31 answering the conference joining request, at least one hard terminal 31 may generate a conference joining response.

[0158] In specific implementation, when the hard terminal 31 is registered in the access gateway 32, the access gateway 32 can perform routing according to the hard terminal identifier (for example, the hard terminal number) carried in the conference joining request, and forward the conference joining request to the hard terminal 31. In this way, by configuring the hard terminal 31 to the automatic answering mode, the hard terminal 31 can automatically generate a conference joining response and join the video conference.

[0159] C3: The conference controller 302 establishes a control link with the conference server 301 .

[0160] After at least one hard terminal 31 joins the video conference, it indicates that at least one hard terminal 31 is already in the video conference. The conference server 301 can send the joining information of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302, for example, updating the status of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302 as having joined the conference. In this way, the conference controller 302 can obtain the joining information and establish a long connection (i.e., a control link) with the conference server 301. During the video conference, the conference controller 302 can remotely control the hard terminal 31 through the control link.

[0161] For example, during a video conference, the conference controller 302 can send target instructions to the conference server 301 through the control link, such as instructions to mute the hard terminal, instructions to turn on the hard terminal video screen, instructions to invite other conference participants, instructions to adjust the conference view, etc. The conference server 301 controls at least one hard terminal 31 to execute the target instructions by processing the target instructions, thereby realizing rich conference control functions.

[0162] In other embodiments, the conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference. Fig.11 As shown in the flowchart of a screen sharing process, the hard terminal 31 can realize screen sharing through the following steps:

[0163] D1: The conference server 301 generates first shared screen information corresponding to at least one hard terminal 31;

[0164] D2: The conference server 301 sends the first shared screen information to the conference controller 302;

[0165] D3: The conference controller 302 presents the first shared screen information.

[0166] The first shared screen information may be understood as correct verification information required to implement screen sharing on the hard terminal 31. In the embodiment of the present application, the first shared screen information may be generated by the conference server 301 and presented in the conference controller 302.

[0167] D4: the conference client 303 sends the second shared screen information to the conference server 301 .

[0168] The conference client 303 may be deployed on the devices of the conference participants in the video conference, such as personal computers or mobile devices used by the conference participants, so that the conference participants can share the screen through the conference client 303. The second shared screen information may be understood as verification information for implementing screen sharing on the hard terminal 31.

[0169] Specifically, the conference participant can trigger a screen projection request through the conference client 303, and input the second shared screen information according to the first shared screen information presented in the conference controller 302 for verification.

[0170] D5: In response to the first shared screen information being the same as the second shared screen information, the conference server 301 establishes a sharing link with the conference client 303 .

[0171] After receiving the second shared screen information, the conference server 301 can match it with the first shared screen information. When the first shared screen information is the same as the second shared screen information, it indicates that the verification information sent by the conference client 303 is the correct verification information required to implement screen sharing on the hard terminal 31, and the conference server 301 can establish a shared link between the conference server 301 and the conference client 303, and the shared link can receive the data stream sent by the conference client 303.

[0172] D6: The conference client 303 sends a data stream to the conference server 301;

[0173] D7: The conference server 301 sends a data stream to at least one hard terminal 31;

[0174] D8: At least one hard terminal 31 plays the data stream.

[0175] In this way, the conference client 303 can send a data stream to the conference server 301 through the shared link, for example, a data stream of the current desktop of the conference client 303. After receiving the data stream, the conference server 301 can send the data stream to at least one hard terminal 31, so that at least one hard terminal 31 can play the data stream, for example, play the data stream on an external display connected to at least one hard terminal 31, thereby displaying the same content as the conference client 303 and realizing screen sharing.

[0176] It is understandable that conference participants can also share their screens before the video conference starts. When the conference client 303 sends a screen projection request, but the hard terminal 31 has not joined the video conference, the conference server 301 can execute steps C1 to C2, control the hard terminal 31 to join the video conference, and then realize screen sharing.

[0177] Based on the above description, it can be seen that by establishing a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, the user can trigger the generation of target instructions related to the video conference through the conference controller, and through the processing of the conference server, the effect of remotely controlling the hard terminal to execute the target instructions can be achieved, enriching the conference control function and improving the user experience in the video conference.

[0178] The foregoing describes a conference control method provided in an embodiment of the present application, which will be introduced below in conjunction with a specific scenario.

[0179] See also FIG. 12A to FIG. 12Q A schematic diagram of a conference control interface is shown in FIG. Fig. 12A It is a display window 1200 for the first pairing information. Specifically, the display window 1200 for the first pairing information can be presented in the hard terminal management portal website. After the user (for example, a conference room administrator) obtains the first pairing information, the conference server 301 can return the first pairing information. In this way, the hard terminal management portal website can present the display window 1200 for the first pairing information. The first pairing information can be displayed in the display window 1200 for the first pairing information, for example, a pairing QR code and a pairing code (such as ABCD-ABCD).

[0180] Fig. 12B It is an input window 1201 for the second pairing information. Specifically, the input window 1201 for the second pairing information can be presented in the conference controller 302. The user (for example, a conference room administrator) can input the second pairing information based on the first pairing information displayed in the display window 1200 of the first pairing information to pair the conference controller 302 with the hard terminal 31.

[0181] Fig. 12C The verification code input window 1202 is specifically presented in the conference controller 302. After the user (e.g., the conference room administrator) sends a pairing request through the conference controller 302, the conference server 301 can authenticate the conference controller 302 by sending a verification code. For example, the conference server 301 can send a verification code to the mobile device of the conference room administrator and present the verification code input window 1202 on the conference controller 302. The conference room administrator can input the verification code received in the mobile device into the verification code input window 1202 to complete the identity authentication.

[0182] Fig.12DFor the hard terminal management portal website 1203, after the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 is established on the conference server 301, the user (for example, the conference room administrator) can view the pairing relationship through the hard terminal management portal website 1203. In addition, the hard terminal management portal website 1203 can also display information related to the hard terminal, such as the hard terminal name, the department to which the hard terminal belongs, the hard terminal device model, the hard terminal serial number (serial number, SN code), the hard terminal status, etc.

[0183] Fig.12E It is the display page 1204 of the conference controller. After the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31 is established on the conference server 301, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can display information related to the hard terminal 31 (for example, the name of the hard terminal 31), and provide controls for joining a conference, initiating a conference, and sharing a screen projection, so that users can remotely control the hard terminal 31 through the controls provided in the display page 1204 of the conference controller.

[0184] After the conference server 301 establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, the user can cancel the pairing relationship through the conference controller 302. Fig.12F and Figure 12G As shown, the display page 1204 of the conference controller provides a setting control. After the user triggers the setting control, an unpairing control 12041 can be further presented. After the user triggers the unpairing control 12041, an unpairing window 12042 can be presented in the display page 1204 of the conference controller. The unpairing window 12042 is used to confirm with the user whether to unpair the conference controller and the hard terminal. In other embodiments, the user can also unbind through the unpairing control provided by the hard terminal management portal website 1203, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit this.

[0185] After the conference server 301 establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, the conference server 301 can push the conference information of the hard terminal 31 to the conference controller 302. Fig.12H As shown, the display page 1204 of the conference controller displays the conference information of the hard terminal 31, such as the conference time, conference theme, etc.

[0186] The user can make a conference reservation by triggering the initiate conference control in the display page 1204 of the conference controller. Fig.12I As shown, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can present a conference reservation window 12043, and the user can enter conference information such as conference subject and conference time in the conference reservation window 12043 to make a conference reservation.

[0187] like Fig.12J As shown, when a conference with the hard terminal 31 is in progress, in the display page 1204 of the conference controller, the ongoing conference information area may provide a join control, and the user may control the hard terminal to join the ongoing conference by triggering the join control.

[0188] Figure 12K The conference joining page 1205 is specifically presented in the conference controller 302. The user can input the conference ID through the conference joining page 1205 to control the hard terminal 31 to join the video conference. Figure 12L As shown, for a video conference that requires a conference password, after the user enters the conference ID, the conference joining page 1205 can further present a password input window 12051, and the user can enter the conference password through the password input window 12051 to control the hard terminal 31 to join the video conference.

[0189] After the hard terminal 31 joins the video conference, Figure 12M As shown, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can present multiple command controls to support the user to implement remote conference control for the hard terminal 31 through the conference controller 302. For example, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can display the conference subject, conference ID, and provide a mute control, a video start control, a screen sharing control, a control for inviting other conference participants, a control for adjusting the conference view, etc.

[0190] Users can generate different conference control requests by triggering command controls. Fig.12N , Fig.12O and Figure 12P As shown, after the user triggers the control to adjust the conference view, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can present a view selection window 12044, and the user can adjust the conference view in the video conference through the view selection window 12044, for example, to the speaker mode, the picture-in-picture mode or the gallery mode. After the user triggers the control to invite other conference participants, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can present an external invitation window 12045, and the external invitation window 12045 can display an invitation QR code, a conference topic, a conference ID and a conference password, so that other conference participants can join the video conference through the external invitation window 12045. After the user triggers the screen sharing control, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can present a screen projection window 12046, and the screen projection window 12046 displays the first screen sharing information (for example, the screen projection code "ABCDEFGH"), and the user can enter the second screen sharing information in the conference client 303 to achieve screen sharing.

[0191] The conference controller display page 1204 may also provide controls for leaving the conference, such as Figure 12QAs shown, after the user triggers the leave conference control, the display page 1204 of the conference controller can present a leave conference window 12047, which is used to confirm with the user whether to leave the current video conference. In this way, through the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal 31, the conference controller 302 has the ability to remotely control the hard terminal 31, realizing rich conference control functions.

[0192] Based on the conference control method of the above embodiment, the present application embodiment further provides a conference control system 30 as described above. The conference control system 30 is introduced below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0193] See also Figure 3 The conference control system 30 shown in FIG. 1 includes:

[0194] The conference controller 302 is used to send a conference control request, where the conference control request is used to request execution of a target instruction related to the video conference;

[0195] The conference server 301 is used to receive a conference control request and determine at least one hard terminal that has a paired relationship with the conference controller, wherein the hard terminal is used to implement a hardware video conference based on an embedded architecture;

[0196] The conference server 301 is also used to process conference control requests to control at least one hard terminal to execute target instructions.

[0197] Among them, the conference controller 302 may include a communication module 3021, and the communication module 3021 is used to send a conference control request. Similarly, the conference server 301 may include a communication module 3011, a determination module 3012 and a processing module 3013, the communication module 3011 is used to receive the conference control request, the determination module 3012 is used to determine at least one hard terminal that has a pairing relationship with the conference controller, and the processing module 3013 is used to process the conference control request to control at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction.

[0198] The above-mentioned communication module 3021, communication module 3011, determination module 3012 and processing module 3013 can be implemented by hardware modules or by software modules. Among them, the communication module 3021, communication module 3011, determination module 3012 and processing module 3013 can be implemented by a computing device or a computing engine on a computing device. Below, the determination module 3012 is taken as an example for description.

[0199] When implemented by software, the determination module 3012 may be an application or application module running on a computing device or a computing device cluster, such as a computing engine. The application may be provided to users in the form of a virtualized service. Virtualized services may include virtual machine (VM) services, bare metal server (BMS) services, and container services. Among them, the VM service may be a service that virtualizes a virtual machine (VM) resource pool on multiple physical hosts (such as computing devices) through virtualization technology to provide users with VMs for use on demand. The BMS service is a service that virtualizes a BMS resource pool on multiple physical hosts to provide users with BMS for use on demand. The container service is a service that virtualizes a container resource pool on multiple physical hosts to provide users with containers for use on demand. VM is a simulated virtual computer, that is, a logical computer. BMS is a high-performance computing service that can be elastically scalable, and its computing performance is no different from that of a traditional physical machine, and it has the characteristics of secure physical isolation. Containers are a kernel virtualization technology that can provide lightweight virtualization to achieve the purpose of isolating user space, processes, and resources. It should be understood that the VM service, BMS service and container service in the above-mentioned virtualization services are merely specific examples. In actual applications, the virtualization service may also be other lightweight or heavyweight virtualization services, which are not specifically limited here.

[0200] When implemented by hardware, the determination module 3012 may include at least one computing device, such as a server, etc. Alternatively, the determination module 102 may also be a device implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), etc. The PLD may be a complex programmable logical device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL), or any combination thereof.

[0201] In some possible implementations, the conference controller 302 presents at least one instruction control, and the conference controller 302 (for example, the communication module 3021) is specifically used to:

[0202] In response to a trigger operation on a target control in at least one instruction control, a conference control request corresponding to the target control is sent.

[0203] In some possible implementations, the conference server 301 further includes a generation module and a creation module (not shown in the figure), and the conference server 301 (eg, the generation module) is further configured to:

[0204] Generate first pairing information of the hard terminal;

[0205] The conference server 301 (for example, the communication module 3012) is also used for:

[0206] Receiving a pairing request sent by the conference controller 302 (for example, the communication module 3021), where the pairing request carries the second pairing information;

[0207] The conference server 301 (e.g., a building module) is also used for:

[0208] In response to the first pairing information being the same as the second pairing information, a pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal is established.

[0209] In some possible implementations, the conference server 301 (for example, the communication module 3011) is further used for:

[0210] Receiving a conference information subscription request sent by the conference controller 302 (eg, the communication module 3021);

[0211] The conference server 301 (e.g., a building module) is also used for:

[0212] According to the pairing relationship between the conference controller 302 and the hard terminal, a conference information subscription link is established with the conference controller 302 , and the conference information subscription link is used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal.

[0213] In some possible implementations, the conference server 301 (for example, the communication module 3011) is further used for:

[0214] Sending the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller 302 (eg, the communication module 3021) via the conference information subscription link; or,

[0215] In response to changes in the conference information of the hard terminal, the conference information of the hard terminal is updated to the conference controller 302 (eg, the communication module 3021 ) through the conference information subscription link.

[0216] In some possible implementations, the conference control request is used to request to join a video conference, and the conference server 301 (for example, the processing module 3013) is specifically used to:

[0217] generating a joining request for at least one hard terminal;

[0218] In response to receiving a joining response from at least one hard terminal, a control link is established with the conference controller 302, where the control link is used to control at least one hard terminal to execute a target instruction during the video conference.

[0219] In some possible implementations, at least one hard terminal is further used for:

[0220] Generate a join response through a connector; or,

[0221] The conference service end 301 (eg, the communication module 3011 ) forwards a conference joining request for at least one hard terminal to at least one hard terminal via an access gateway, and generates a conference joining response in response to at least one hard terminal answering the conference joining request.

[0222] In some possible implementations, the conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference, and the conference server 301 (for example, the processing module 3013) is specifically used to:

[0223] Generate first shared screen information corresponding to at least one hard terminal, and send the first shared screen information to the conference controller 302, so that the conference controller 302 presents the first shared screen information;

[0224] Receiving second shared screen information sent by conference client 303, and in response to the first shared screen information being the same as the second shared screen information, establishing a shared link with conference client 303, wherein conference client 303 is deployed on a device of a conference participant in the video conference;

[0225] The data stream sent by the conference client 303 through the shared link is received, and the data stream is sent to at least one hard terminal, so that the at least one hard terminal plays the data stream.

[0226] The present application also provides a computing device 1300. Fig.13 As shown, the computing device 1300 includes: a bus 1302, a processor 1304, a memory 1306, and a communication interface 1308. The processor 1304, the memory 1306, and the communication interface 1308 communicate through the bus 1302. The computing device 1300 can be a server or a terminal device. It should be understood that the present application does not limit the number of processors and memories in the computing device 1300.

[0227] The bus 1302 may be a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus or an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus. The bus may be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Fig.13 The bus 1302 may include a path for transmitting information between various components of the computing device 1300 (eg, the memory 1306, the processor 1304, and the communication interface 1308).

[0228] The processor 1304 may include any one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a microprocessor (MP), or a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0229] The memory 1306 may include a volatile memory, such as a random access memory (RAM). The memory 1306 may also include a non-volatile memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The memory 1306 stores executable program code, and the processor 1304 executes the executable program code to implement the aforementioned conference control method. Specifically, the memory 1306 stores instructions for the conference control system 30 to execute the conference control method.

[0230] The communication interface 1308 uses a transceiver module such as, but not limited to, a network interface card or a transceiver to implement communication between the computing device 1300 and other devices or communication networks.

[0231] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computing device cluster. The computing device cluster includes at least one computing device. The computing device can be a server, such as a central server, an edge server, or a local server in a local data center. In some embodiments, the computing device can also be a terminal device such as a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a smart phone.

[0232] like Fig.14 As shown, the computing device cluster includes at least one computing device 1300. The memory 1306 in one or more computing devices 1300 in the computing device cluster may store the same conference control system 30 for executing the conference control method.

[0233] In some possible implementations, one or more computing devices 1300 in the computing device cluster may also store some instructions for the conference control system 30 to execute the conference control method. In other words, the combination of one or more computing devices 1300 may jointly execute the instructions for the conference control system 30 to execute the conference control method.

[0234] It should be noted that the memory 1306 in different computing devices 1300 in the computing device cluster may store different instructions for executing partial functions of the conference control system 30 .

[0235] Fig.15 A possible implementation is shown. Fig.15 As shown, two computing devices 1300A and 1300B are connected via a communication interface 1308. The memory in computing device 1300A stores instructions for executing the functions of a conference controller (e.g., communication module 3021). The memory in computing device 1300B stores instructions for executing the functions of a conference server (e.g., communication module 3011, determination module 3012, and processing module 3013). In other words, the memories 1306 of computing devices 1300A and 1300B jointly store instructions for conference control system 30 to execute the action correction method.

[0236] Fig.15 The connection mode between the computing device clusters shown may be considered to be applied to the conference control method provided by the present application in the conference control system 30, which includes a conference controller and a conference server. Therefore, it is considered that the functions implemented by the communication module 3021 are executed by the computing device 1300A, and the functions implemented by the communication module 3011, the determination module 3012 and the processing module 3013 are executed by the computing device 1300B.

[0237] It should be understood that Fig.15 The functions of the computing device 1300A shown in FIG. 1300A may also be completed by multiple computing devices 1300. Similarly, the functions of the computing device 1300B may also be completed by multiple computing devices 1300.

[0238] In some possible implementations, one or more computing devices in the computing device cluster may be connected via a network, which may be a wide area network or a local area network. Fig.16 A possible implementation is shown. Fig.16As shown, two computing devices 1300C and 1300D are connected via a network. Specifically, the network is connected via a communication interface in each computing device. In this type of possible implementation, the memory 1306 in the computing device 1300C stores instructions for executing the functions of the conference controller (e.g., the communication module 3021). At the same time, the memory 1306 in the computing device 1300D stores instructions for executing the functions of the conference server (e.g., the communication module 3011, the determination module 3012, and the processing module 3013).

[0239] Fig.16 The connection mode between the computing device clusters shown can be considered to be applied to the conference control method provided by the present application in the conference control system 30, which includes a conference controller and a conference server. Therefore, it is considered that the functions implemented by the communication module 3021 are performed by the computing device 1300C, and the functions implemented by the communication module 3011, the determination module 3012 and the processing module 3013 are performed by the computing device 1300D. It should be understood that Fig.16 The functions of the computing device 1300C shown in FIG. 1300A may also be completed by multiple computing devices 1300. Similarly, the functions of the computing device 1300D may also be completed by multiple computing devices 1300.

[0240] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be stored by the computing device or a data storage device such as a data center containing one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid-state hard disk). The computer-readable storage medium includes instructions that instruct the computing device to execute the above-mentioned application to the conference control system for executing the conference control method.

[0241] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product including instructions. The computer program product may be software or a program product including instructions that can be run on a computing device or stored in any available medium. When the computer program product is run on at least one computing device, the at least one computing device executes the above conference control method.

[0242] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. However, these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the protection scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A conference control method, characterized in that: Applied to a conference control system, the conference control system includes a conference server and a conference controller, and the method includes: The conference server receives a conference control request sent by the conference controller, where the conference control request is used to request execution of a target instruction related to the video conference; The conference server determines at least one hard terminal that has a pairing relationship with the conference controller, and the hard terminal is used to implement a hardware video conference based on an embedded architecture; The conference service end processes the conference control request to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conference controller presents at least one instruction control, and the conference server receives a conference control request sent by the conference controller, including: In response to a trigger operation on a target control in the at least one instruction control, the conference controller sends a conference control request corresponding to the target control; The conference service end receives the conference control request.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal is established through the following steps: The conference server generates first pairing information of the hard terminal; The conference server receives a pairing request sent by the conference controller, where the pairing request carries second pairing information; In response to the first pairing information being the same as the second pairing information, the conference service end establishes a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that After establishing the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, the method further includes: The conference server receives a conference information subscription request sent by the conference controller; The conference service end establishes a conference information subscription link with the conference controller according to the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, and the conference information subscription link is used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The method further comprises: The conference server sends the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link; or, In response to changes in the conference information of the hard terminal, the conference server updates the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The conference control request is used to request to join a video conference, and the conference server processes the conference control request to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction, including: The conference server generates a conference joining request for the at least one hard terminal; In response to the conference service end receiving a conference joining response from the at least one hard terminal, the conference service end establishes a control link with the conference controller, wherein the control link is used to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction during the video conference.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that Before the conference server establishes a control link with the conference controller in response to the conference server receiving the conference joining response from the at least one hard terminal, the method further includes: The at least one hard terminal generates a joining response via the connector; or, The conference service end forwards the conference joining request for the at least one hard terminal to the at least one hard terminal through the access gateway, and in response to the at least one hard terminal answering the conference joining request, the at least one hard terminal generates a conference joining response.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference, and the conference server processes the conference control request to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction, including: The conference server generates first shared screen information corresponding to the at least one hard terminal, and sends the first shared screen information to the conference controller so that the conference controller presents the first shared screen information; The conference server receives the second shared screen information sent by the conference client, and in response to the first shared screen information being the same as the second shared screen information, the conference server establishes a shared link with the conference client, where the conference client is deployed on a device of a conference participant in the video conference; The conference server receives the data stream sent by the conference client through the shared link, and sends the data stream to the at least one hard terminal, so that the at least one hard terminal plays the data stream.

9. A conference control system, characterized in that: The system comprises: A conference controller, used to send a conference control request, wherein the conference control request is used to request execution of a target instruction related to a video conference; A conference server, configured to receive the conference control request and determine at least one hard terminal that has a pairing relationship with the conference controller, wherein the hard terminal is configured to implement a hardware video conference based on an embedded architecture; The conference server is further configured to process the conference control request to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction.

10. The system according to claim 9, characterized in that The conference controller presents at least one instruction control, and the conference controller is specifically used to: In response to a trigger operation on a target control in the at least one instruction control, a conference control request corresponding to the target control is sent.

11. The system according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that: The conference server is also used for: Generate first pairing information of the hard terminal; receiving a pairing request sent by the conference controller, wherein the pairing request carries second pairing information; In response to the first pairing information being the same as the second pairing information, a pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal is established.

12. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that The conference server is also used for: Receiving a conference information subscription request sent by the conference controller; According to the pairing relationship between the conference controller and the hard terminal, a conference information subscription link is established with the conference controller, and the conference information subscription link is used to transmit the conference information of the hard terminal.

13. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that The conference server is also used for: Sending the conference information of the hard terminal to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link; or, In response to a change in the conference information of the hard terminal, the conference information of the hard terminal is updated to the conference controller through the conference information subscription link.

14. The system according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that The conference control request is used to request to join a video conference, and the conference server is specifically used to: generating a joining request for the at least one hard terminal; In response to receiving a conference joining response from the at least one hard terminal, a control link is established with the conference controller, wherein the control link is used to control the at least one hard terminal to execute the target instruction during the video conference.

15. The system according to claim 14, characterized in that The at least one hard terminal is also used for: Generate a join response through a connector; or, The conference service end forwards the conference joining request for the at least one hard terminal to the at least one hard terminal through the access gateway, and generates a conference joining response in response to the at least one hard terminal answering the conference joining request.

16. The system according to any one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that The conference control request is used to request screen sharing in a video conference, and the conference server is specifically used to: generating first shared screen information corresponding to the at least one hard terminal, and sending the first shared screen information to the conference controller so that the conference controller presents the first shared screen information; receiving second shared screen information sent by a conference client, and in response to the first shared screen information being the same as the second shared screen information, establishing a shared link with the conference client, the conference client being deployed on a device of a conference participant in the video conference; A data stream sent by the conference client through the shared link is received, and the data stream is sent to the at least one hard terminal so that the at least one hard terminal plays the data stream.

17. A computing device cluster, characterized in that: The computing device cluster includes at least one computing device, and the at least one computing device includes at least one processor and at least one memory, wherein the at least one memory stores computer-readable instructions; the at least one processor executes the computer-readable instructions so that the computing device cluster executes the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

18. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The method comprises computer-readable instructions; the computer-readable instructions are used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

19. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises computer-readable instructions; the computer-readable instructions are used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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